After Aideen finished introducing the rules of the audition and announced the official start of the 20th Hot Sand Festival, all thirty-three events, everyone's journey through the stages began.
Following Himeko's suggestion, with the situation urgent and time limited, everyone split into two groups.
The challenge paths were divided into two types, an acting path and a combat path.
Nero chose the acting path without hesitation, because through some special cute techniques, he learned from the staff that the only part of the combat path that could be considered fun was Little Hanu's Action.
And he had already played Little Hanu's Action together with Stelle when Firefly had disguised herself as Sampo earlier, successfully turning a stealth game into a robbery game.
So at this moment, he had no interest in the combat path.
Stelle, who was also a member of the Robbery-Version Hanu Brothers, had much the same thoughts as Nero, so she also chose the acting path.
Thus, the groups were formed.
Stelle, Nero, Firefly, who had already experienced Little Hanu's Action, and the two knights who would definitely stand on the same path as Nero, five people in total, headed for the acting venue.
The remaining Himeko, March, and July went to play Little Hanu's Action, heading for the combat venue.
Soon, both groups entered their respective venues through the pinball machines in the dream.
"Dream Stage, come if you have a dream! Welcome to the Acting Stage!"
Amid the host's impassioned voice, Stelle and the others walked onto the red carpet, where a guide came to receive them.
The guide gave everyone a detailed introduction to the acting path's trial, "Contestants, allow me to introduce the rules of this stage."
"There are three stages ahead. On each stage, you can obtain a script synopsis. These three scripts all come from the movie tycoon, the Clockmaker, and depict various anecdotes from Penacony's pioneering era."
"You need to imagine the circumstances at the time, deliver suitable lines, and give an appropriate performance, allowing the judges to feel the emotions the script is trying to convey. We wish you success."
"By the way, the highest score for this stage was set by a blue-haired contestant. His superb acting actually made even the strictest judges shed tears at the scene, earning the high praise: 'It doesn't look acted!'"
"Ah... haha..."
The guide's exaggerated expression and emotionally overflowing manner of speaking made Firefly struggle to keep her expression together. Or rather, she found it hard to understand the mental state of the people in this venue.
The group didn't continue wasting time here and soon arrived at the first scene. The examiner looked at the five people approaching, and countless thoughts immediately appeared in her mind. She then spoke.
"Look at these five contestants coming over. They certainly look full of spirit. From my observation, this group must consist of two amateurs and three experienced contestants."
The examiner then brought Nero and the other two to the front and said, "The three of you. At a glance, I can tell you're old hands with plenty of experience in this line of work. Since you're one team, how about showing the two amateurs how it's done?"
Nero blinked and said nothing.
The child didn't really want to talk right now.
He had come here because he wanted to try some new entertainment, but he had suddenly realized that he seemed to be getting broadcast live across the entire galaxy.
Nero suddenly felt that this place wasn't as fun as he had imagined either.
Argenti and Tiriandes, however, didn't have much of a reaction and directly agreed.
Thus, the examiner said, "Good. Now, imagine that you've been called by the pioneering spirit and have set foot on Penacony's dreamland for the first time. But here, yellow sand fills the sky and everything is desolate. This is nothing like the paradise described by the Clockmaker!"
"You're driving an old, battered car through the wilderness of the dream, drinking in the cold wind and choking on sand, only to have your path blocked by a vicious Memetic Entity..."
"Now, Mr. Intellitron, what kind of line can express your disappointment in Penacony?"
As the examiner spoke, everyone's attention shifted to Tiriandes.
Then, everyone suddenly noticed that the Intellitron knight had already clenched his fists. There was little fluctuation in his voice, yet it carried an emotion of deep anguish.
It was as if the low roar of an engine was buzzing in their ears. The temperature around them seemed to rise by more than ten degrees at that moment.
Tiriandes clenched his fists, part of his back opened up, and he released rumbling hot air as he said, "What? We were actually deceived, and it even put Nero in such danger? Clockmaker, born evil, I'll personally tear you..."
"Huh?"
The examiner stared wide-eyed, somewhat stunned.
She had indeed heard the disappointment in Mr. Intellitron's words, but wasn't the development of things a little off?
But no matter what, he had indeed expressed his disappointment... and he had shown it as well. So the examiner praised him, "Very good! Very good! You have fully expressed your disappointment and the anger brought about by that disappointment."
"That anger, which is so tangible that it makes you want to kill the Clockmaker and even causes the surroundings to heat up, vividly expresses your despair. That's it!"
After praising him, the examiner looked toward Stelle in the back. "Then, Miss with the gray hair, Mr. Intellitron has already given a perfect performance. As an amateur, do you now know how to express this emotion?"
Stelle put her hands on her hips and showed a confident smile, indicating that she completely understood.
"Good, please begin your performance!" the examiner said.
Stelle gathered her emotions for a moment before speaking, "Shit, this Clockmaker is a fucking big liar! Coming here to deceive and bully a minor Nameless."
"Clockmaker, remember this. I'm fucking coming to find you, so don't let me catch you. If I fucking catch you, you're going to pay!"
"Uh... huh...?"
Firefly, standing beside Stelle, had a complicated look in her eyes and expressed her concern to Stelle. "Although I can hear your disappointment... using the name of a god from someone else's faith as a censoring substitute for swear words isn't very good..."
Thinking this, Firefly raised her head, and then froze completely.
Because she discovered that the examiner was already in tears.
"Wuwuwu! What a... what a moving performance. Wonderful, absolutely wonderful! Simple trash talk, the ultimate enjoyment. Are you really an amateur?"
"You actually made us feel your disappointment in such a simple, direct, and plain way. What a deep foundation in lines. Of course, I hope you'll be a little more careful next time. Don't use Their name to censor those words. You can replace it with another noun."
Firefly stood there blankly, watching this scene.
"Huh... huh...? Huh...!? Are there really this many Penacony people whose minds aren't right?"